Mobile home holdown apparatus

ABSTRACT

A removable mobile home holdown, including pairs of hollow pipes extending into the ground flush with opposing sides of the mobile home. A cross member is secured between each pair of pipes, and each pipe has a crimped end extending into the ground with an auger at the crimped end for anchoring.

United States Patent 1 1 Young [4 1 Nov. 6, 1973 [54] MOBILE HOMEHOLDOWN APPARATUS 3,170,663 2/1965 Fite 248/361 1 1 Inventor: ErnestYoung, 1, BOX 348A, 3333331 111322 kiii-"ifffifjjij J 233/3 6? Momstown,32668 3 V. 7 3,345,996 10/1967 Sadoue 135 1 R [22] Filed: Nov. 1, 1972Primary Examiner-John E Murtagh [21] App! 302,925 Attorney-William M.Hobby et a1.

[52] US. Cl. 52/23, 248/361 57 ABSTRACT [51] int. Cl E04h 9/14 [58]Field 61 Search 135/1 R, 3 E; 52/23, mf f z i Ti i 9: 52/83, 156, 157,143, 4; 248/361 R, 361 A 9 P ex 8 posmg sldes of the m0b1le home. Across member 15 se- [56] References Cited cured between each pair ofpipes, and each pipe has a crlmped end extendmg mm the ground wlth anauger UNITED STATES PATENTS at the crimped end for anchoring. 930,7928/1909 Perryuu, 2,822,144 2/1958 Jones 248/361 6 Clams, 3 Drawmg Figures2,873,694 2/1959 Jaskowiak 248/361 1 MOBILE HOME HOLDOWN APPARATUSBACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 2. Description of the Prior Art Mobile homeshave greatly increased in popularity in recent years, especially inthose portions of the United States where relatively mild winters occur.In some respects, the term mobile home has become a misnomer, since manysuch homes are permanently installed. Yet many mobile home owners stillmove their facilities occasionally. One of the disadvantages with mobilehomes in the past was their susceptibility to damage from high winds.While mobile homes do not have a high profile, they are relativelylight, and are frequently severely damaged or destroyed duringhurricanesor tornadoes. Because of this, legislation both in Congressand in some states is being considered which would require all mobilehomes to be tied down in some manner to meet certain minimum windstandards.

There are several types of apparatus presently employed to tie downmobile homes. One arrangement employs cable or flexible straps tied toconcrete anchors. See, for example, U. S. Pat. No. 3,054,151 toShankland. However, such arrangements generally require that the strapsextend away from the vehicle in order to achieve maximum hold downcapabilities (i. e. mechanical advantage). Yet in this configuration,the straps are an impediment to walking about the mobile home.

Grinelli, et al, in U. S. Pat. No. 3,335,531, teach a mobile hometie-down employing permanently installed spaced concrete anchors and adetachable rod frame. However, this arrangement is expensive; and sincemobile homes come in various widths, the permanently installed concreteanchors may'often beto'o wide, in which case the rods are a walkingimpediment, as described above, or too narrow, resulting in a loss inthe overall strength or the tie-down assembly.

Another technique, disclosed by Doctor in U. S. Pat. No. 3,403,487,contemplates a permanent concrete pad to which the mobile home isanchored.

While the above described apparatus has worked in the intended manner,it would be desirable to employ a hold down aparatus which could beeasily removed and reinstalled at a new location without any limitationson the new location, such as requirements for providing new concreteanchors.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to a mobilehome crimped end. A cross member is included between opposing pipes ofeach pair, and is adapted to engage the roof of the mobile home.

THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a mobile home employing theholdown apparatus of the present invention.

1 FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an end portion of a pipe employed inthe'present invention.

F IG. 3 is another perspective view of a portion of the presentinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION A- holdown apparatus for a mobile home inaccordance with the present invention is shown in FIGS. l-3 anddescribed withreference thereto.

Noting FIG. 1, a plurality of pairs of hollow pipes 10 are provided,each pair of pipes being adapted to extend next adjacent to opposingsides 12, 13 of a mobile home 14. Preferably the pipes 10 are flush withthe sides 12, 13 with a small standoff 16, such as a hard rubber pad,interposed therebetween.

The size and material of the pipes 10 are not critical. By way ofexample, the pipes 10 may comprise 3 inch galvanized iron.

A plurality of cross members 18 are provided, each being joinedbetweenthe opposite pipes 10 of each pair. The cross members 18 are flush withthe roof 20 of the mobile home 14, with appropriate standoffs 22therebetween. The cross members 18 may be joined to thecorresponding-pipes 10 by a variety of means. Pref erably, however,slidable bands 24 are employed in order to allow the cross member 18 tobe adjusted in a vertical direction, and thus accommodate a variety ofmobile home heights.

Referring now to FIG. 2, the lower end 26 of each pipe 10 is crimped toprovide a relatively sharp point which is'more easily inserted into theground than without such crimping. Additionally, a threaded flange, orauger 28, is welded or otherwise joined to the pipe 10 proximal to thecrimped end 26 As shown in FIG. 3, the holdown apparatus of thepresentinvention further includes an eyelet 30 joined to each pipe 10 ashort distance above the auger 28. A cable 23 is tied to the lower edge34 of the side 12, 13 of the mobile home 1 4 which is next adjacent tothe pipes 10, and'is tied to the eyelet 30 via a turnbuckle 36. Theturnbuckle 36 provides means for adjusting the length of the tie betweenthe lower edge 34 and each pipe 10.

The mobile home tie-down apparatus of the present invention providesseveral advangages with respect to the prior art. First, all of theapparatus of the present invention is flush to the mobile home, andthusdoes not serve as an impediment to walking about the mobile home.Second, the apparatus of the present invention can be completely andeasily taken down and reused at another site. Third, the presentinvention does not require permanent concrete anchors or pads, and isrelatively inexpensive.

I claim: 1. A mobile home tie-down, comprising: a plurality of pairs ofhollow tie-down pipes,'each pair of pipes adapted to extend nextadjacent opposing sides of a mobile home;

each said pipe having a crimped end adapted to extend into the ground,and each said pipe further including a threaded auger therealongproximal to said crimped end; and

a cross member between opposing pipes of each pair, each said crossmember adapted to engage the roof of said mobile home.

2. A mobile home tie-down as recited in claim 1 further comprising meansfor tieing the lower edge of each said side of said mobile home to saidpipes along the corresponding side.

3. A mobile home tie-down as recited in claim 2 furadjusting means.

1. A mobile home tie-down, comprising: a plurality of pairs of hollowtie-down pipes, each pair of pipes adapted to extend next adjacentopposing sides of a mobile home; each said pipe having a crimped endadapted to extend into the ground, and each said pipe further includinga threaded auger therealong proximal to said crimped end; and a crossmember between opposing pipes of each pair, each said cross memberadapted to engage the roof of said mobile home.
 2. A mobile hometie-down as recited in claim 1 further comprising means for tieing thelower edge of each said side of said mobile home to said pipes along thecorresponding side.
 3. A mobile home tie-down as recited in claim 2further comprising means for adjusting the length of said tieing means.4. A mobile home tie-down as recited in claim 3 wherein each of saidpipes comprises a unitary member.
 5. A mobile home tie-down as recitedin claim 4, wherein said pipes are mounted flush with said sides of saidmobile home.
 6. A mobile home tie-down as recited in claim 5, whereinsaid cross member further comprIses vertical adjusting means.